Serger Questions and Answers

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked serger questions that I get via Email and through the Guestbook . Since I get a lot of repeat questions, I thought it would be helpful to post the answers here at my web site. I do not mind questions at all, however, I am often out of town and have no way to go online and check my email until I return home. I answer as soon as I can. I may not always have an answer, but don't hesitate to ask. I would like to recommend The Ultimate Serger Answer Guide, by Naomi Baker, Gail Brown, and Cindy Kacynski, 1996. to help with troubleshooting problems. It is an excellent book, with very good pictures, that is very easy to understand.

I have edited any personal comments for brevity, and sometimes consolidated several questions into one multipart answer. I have omitted names to protect the privacy of those who send me questions via Email. Please be aware when sending me a question, that it might end up posted on this page helping others with the same issue!

Also be sure to check out my Serger Tips & Tricks page for a load of other helpful hints!

Question: what serger to buy

Which serger would you recommend to someone who already has a regular sewing machine but hasn't ever owned her own serger?

I need to get a serger soon and am not really sure of all that they can do nor how they actually work. They look very complicated. I definitely could use some recommendations on what options would be the best ones to get. I do mostly home dec. sewing an some piecework for quilted projects.

I have a Kenmore 3/4 serger, but want a new one. Any suggestions?

Answer:

People constantly ask me what kind of serger to buy. This is the most frequently asked question that I get. First of all, you need to make the decision based on a little research. Don't buy a serger just because someone tells you it is the best. Do your own research. There are many sergers sitting in boxes or corners that are not being used because no research was done before the purchase. Find the serger that suits you and your serging needs.

There are some dream sergers on the market right now. The serger I started out on was one of the first ones to have numbered tension dials. Now, there are features like computer controlled tensions, LCD screens, and jet air threading available on the top of the line sergers.

Go "test drive" a few different models, without taking your checkbook or credit card. Take samples of fabrics that you commonly use and see how each serger handles them.

Prices seem to be pretty competitive. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable using it. The best price does not always mean the best machine. Less expensive sergers usually require more tweaking than top of the line models.

Some folks have a knack for machinery and some don't. If you do, then you will have a wide range of choices. If you are one of the ones that don't, then your decision on which serger to buy should start from that primary fact. You may need more "bells and whistles" to make it a bit easier for you to use. From this starting point, there are a few other factors to consider.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding on a serger to purchase:

What kind of sewing do you do? Will the serger be used for a variety of purposes? If you do a lot of sewing, you will want a serger that will hold up to heavy use.

How much do you want to spend? Find models that fit in your budget. Test drive those within that price range.

Try threading the different models. Which ones are the easiest. Ask about the availability of extra accessory feet. Use a couple of different ones.

How easily does the serger convert to rolled hemming? 2 thread serging? Ease of conversion can be a big timesaver.

Does the model have differential feed? Differential feed is almost a necessity in order to serge on today's wide range of fabrics. It is also necessary to have D/F to use the shirring/gathering foot.

What kind of needles does the serger use? Are they easy to get? Many sergers now use standard sewing machine needles, but there are still some that require a certain type of needle.

It is nice to have good dealer support if you live close to any. They usually offer classes and clubs to their customers. Do classes come with the purchase? Is there a support person to contact for problems?

Does the serger have a video and/or workbook available? These can be very helpful, especially if classes are not offered. There are also generic workbooks on the market if one is not available from the manufacturer.

Ask about repairs. Do they do the repairs "in house" or send them to an outside source? What is the average repair time? Does this matter to you?

Get the serger that feels right to you and fits within your budget. However, nothing makes up for practice. That is up to you.

I have several different brands of sergers. I cannot say which one is the BEST serger on the market right now. There is a lot to choose from. Pick the features that suit you and your needs the best.

Question: french seams on a serger

I want to make a sheer over blouse out of that filmy material that is a trend now. How can I serge this (especially the collar) without being able to see my seams when it is worn. Is there any to french seam-serge. I have never french seamed any garment. Do you have any technique tips I can try?

Answer:

Use a narrow 3 thread seam to get the most "invisible" seam. Don't use a real short stitch length, it will perforate and shred the fabric at the seam line. Stitch length needs to be set to 2 1/2 to 3. Serge with the fabric right sides together, instead of like a french seam. Try it on a sample of the fabric first to see what works best. Let me know how it goes. There are other suggestions if this is not right for the fabric you are using.

Reply to Answer:

Thanks for your suggestions. I used the narrow seam like you suggested. Because of the light weight quality of the fabric, it pulled very slightly and made almost a rolled hem look. It actually looked pretty good. Many of the things I was worried about were not a factor with this small seam. I didn't really like working with the slippery quality of the fabric. But it did turn out okay. I was happy with the end product. I think it helped to play around with the fabric before I started like you suggested. I had a little problem with the button holes, It took making two before I remembered a tip my mother had taught me about putting paper underneath when making a button hole so it won't slide and pull. That worked great.

Again-thanks so much for your suggestions. I am really glad I decided to serge this shirt rather than bother with traditional french seams. I recommend this construction highly. It's great to have help through the internet at my fingertips.

Question: gathering on a serger

I have a Bernina Funlock model 006D and I am trying to use the gathering attachment and cannot get it to gather tight enough. I have the differential feed engaged to 2 and the needle in the right position 3-thread setup. Where do I start with adjustments to tighten the gather? HHHEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPP. Thanks

Answer:

Try these settings and let me know how it goes. Use both needles and a medium to wide stitch width. Use the longest stitch length, and the dif. feed set to 2. The fabric to be gathered goes under the metal prong like thing on the bottom against the feed dogs, and the fabric that stays flat goes in the slot. Place the fabrics right sides together. You can tighten both the needle tensions to help get more gather. You may also try taking off the throat plate and cleaning the area real well. The dif. feed on my serger acted up once until I checked and cleaned the feed dog area under the throat plate. The lint packs in real hard and can't come out unless you go in and get it out. If this doesn't fix the problem, let me know. There are other solutions.

Question: fabric preparation for rolled hem

I just bought a new serger and was preparing to make a rolled hem in a skirt. My instruction book tells me how to prepare to machine for serging BUT NOT how to prepare the fabric. I've never serged before.

Answer:

There is no special preparation needed for most fabrics to make a rolled hem. The best advice I can give you is to ALWAYS make a sample of the stitch on the same fabric you will be using in the project. If the fabric needs special attention, it will show up in the sample.

Certain fabrics require some special handling. Simply Serge Any Fabric by Naomi Baker and Tammy Young, Chilton Book Co., 1990, addresses many of these issues.

Question: skipped stitches using woolly nylon extra

I have a Hus.#530. I don't use it to much, but I want to serge some baby blankets for Project Lunis http://pages.prodigy.com/sewsomething/polarfab.htm The machine keeps missing stitches. I use woolly extra thread. Do you have any advice for me?

Answer:

My first suggestion would be to change your needles. If they are bent or burred, it will cause skipped stitches. It's important to change your needles regularly. Another problem could be that the tension is too tight on the woolly nylon. Loosen the tension a little at a time while test serging.

Question: thread clumps and jams

I cannot get the stitches right. My thread clumps and jams.

Answer:

What kind of thread are you using? Make sure that you thread it in the correct order. If the threads cross in the wrong place it will cause problems. Is the thread pulled all the way into the tension disks? Reduce the tension to nothing and then reset it. This lets the thread settle in place. Let me know what happens. I will need more details to be able to pinpoint the problem. There is usually a simple solution if the problem isn't mechanical.

Question: serger feet

What serger feet do you recommend if you only buy a couple at first.

Answer:

There are many great feet for the serger. My favorite is the shirring/gathering foot. The blindhem foot can also be used to guide the fabric away from the blade when flatlocking. Ask your dealer for a brochure on the extra feet available for your serger. They should have one available for each brand. It will give you some good info. Let me know directly if you have any more questions.

Question: lower looper thread breaking

I have rethreaded time and time again, the lower looper thread keeps breaking. What do I do?

Answer:

When the serger is threaded correctly and has a chain of thread formed, look inside your serger, under the throat plate, at the lower looper (LL). I know, you might have to be an acrobat to do that, but do it anyway. You will see the needle threads wrapped around the lower looper. If you thread the LL on top of those needle threads, the LL thread will break. Over and over and over and over again. If you need to thread the LL from scratch, just make sure those needle threads are moved out of the way. You shouldn't have to unthread them from the eye every time if you rake your tweezers under the foot and unwrap them from the LL before threading it.

Question: elasticator foot

Maybe you can help me out, I have a 1832u singer serger. We are a small swimwear shop and I'm interested in elasticaters. Have you tried any? Can you recommend a certain type? What I might look for or stay away from.

Answer:

The elasticator foot will probably speed things up for you quite a bit. I use it for sport bras, swimsuits, crib sheets, etc. This foot does not work for wide elastic. It sometimes takes a few minutes to adjust the foot for the elastic/fabric stretch ratio, but it more than makes up for any time spent adjusting it.

Question: using new needles

Why do you advise to put new needles in? Should this be done at the beginning of each project?

Answer:

You can construct several garments before changing needles. But I like to start my decorative projects with a new needle so there are no skipped stitches or other boo-boos in the middle of stitching that will show on the outside. Man made fibers dull needles and blades faster than natural fibers. I save "used but not bad" needles to use when putting in elastic, as this tends to put a lot of wear on it. Leave the needles threaded when removing them so if you drop one it won't fall into the serger. The needles will be offset, not even, across the bottom. Beware of the double needle inserters. They are made to insert the needles evenly. The serger won't stitch if the needles are even. Make sure the needles are inserted correctly.

Question: hiccups

I have had my serger a little over a month and have spent many hours trying to adjust the tension. I have threaded the "beast" with 4 colors of thread, but cannot solve my problems. When I serge a long length of fabric (basic cotton calico) it looks right for about 3 inches than goes crazy, the looper threads weave back and forth ( the closest thing i've seen to the problem is called a hiccup?) then, with no tension adjustments it goes well for a little while (a couple of inches) and then returns to the craziness. is it crazy or am i? The samples in all the books I have show the problem as consistant, but mine goes back and forth - I guess I have lots of problems. I checked to make sure the thread was feeding ok, because I thought maybe it was sticking or catching on something and that would explain the craziness, but that wasn't it. i tried re-threading and changing needles - still crazy ( of course, i am getting really good at threading - it's not so bad.) I have tried adjusting the tensions as I sew, but I don't see much improvement. I think I am intimidated and confused by all the threads, but even with different colors to help identify them, I can't get it right. any suggestions for someone getting crazier by the minute?

Oh, I have a Babylock Protage' and I will be at your next beginners class

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Answer:

If you bring the serger in, I can check it personally for you while you are there. Bring the same thread you have been using (or trying to use). It sounds like you have done the things I would suggest. Let me know what day and time works best for you. If it is not an option for you to bring it in, please let me know, we can work it another way.

Note (solution): This woman brought her serger to me and the problem was caused by using thread nets on Maxi Lock cone thread. When the thread nets were removed, the tension problem and the hiccups disappeared.

Question: worn out serger

I have an OLD serger - Husquavarna dating back to 1981. I've never tried anything fancy - just serged seams on clothes I make. Lately I can't get the tensions to adjust correctly so I have a solid seam - it pulls open exposing the thread on the outside of the garment. I'm thinking that the machine is just plain worn out. I had it tuend and overlooper replaced a year ago. So, if I go looking for a new machine - what are the features I should look for? I haven't even looked at machines in the last ten years. What will I use and what should I not worry about?

Thanks for your assistance.

Answer:

In answer to your question, yes, sergers do wear out over time. Sounds like the tension dials are worn and won't hold the correct tension. The main feature to get is differential feed. This feature allows you to serge on any kind of fabric, lets you use the shirring/gathering foot, lets you gather without a special foot, and will ease in fabric for you. I have a page at my Serger Place web site that gives info on selecting a new serger. There are many good sergers on the market right now. It is hard to recommend one over another. 

Note:

Question: tiny serger

Today, I just bought a "Tiny Serger" by Singer. It has 3 thread holders. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about Sergers and am just now doing my homework about the machine. One consellation is that the price of the tiny machine was $50. Do you know very much about these tiny machines?

Question 2:

I picked one of these up at a discount store last weekend. Have you had any experience with them? Worth 30$? I only ask because I'm very interested in learning how to serger but don't want to be turned off by a bad experience. Should I take it back??

Answer:

Please go to http://www.lindalee.simplenet.com/buyserge.htm to get some information on the tiny serger. This address will take you directly to the correct page for the info. This info was written by Gail Brown, who is a serger pro who has written many books on serging, and Nancy Zieman. This posting is at Linda Lee Vivian's home page.

I really think this will give you a bad taste for real sergers. This is almost a toy, made from plastic that falls apart very easily with any moderate usage. It does not cut the fabric like a serger, it only wraps thread around the edges. It is a far cry from a real serger. That is why the price is down from the original of $60. They have a lot to get rid of. They are just too flimsy and don't hold up well with much usage.

Reply:

Thanks!!!! It's really what I suspected but for lack of actual experience (I know, I know, you get what you pay for) I fell for the cheap price anyway. I will take back this weekend. Thank you again for your prompt reply. You have, no doubt, saved me a lot of grief and $30.00.

Question: serging Lycra

I have a Singer 5 thread serger. I want to sew Lycra (stretch material) with a narrow width stich -what stich should I use -I'm currently on 4 thread mock safety stitch, but it's too wide.

Answer:

I suggest using a three thread balanced stitch. Use the right needle and the upper and lower looper. I use woolly nylon in the needle and loopers to sew lycra. Use a narrow to medium width and a stitch length of 2 1/2. You may need to use a stretch needle if you have a problem with skipped stitches. Try it on a scrap of the fabric first.

Question: confused by serging info

I really want to learn how to properly use my serger, I have purchase several books on the subject, I have a basic Janome Mylock 134D. Does no one put out a suggested tension adjustment similar to what sewing machines have, use ZigZag move witdth here length there tension there, it is all so confusing.

Answer:

The best book I can suggest is "The Ultimate Serger Answer Guide" by Gail Brown (more book info on my web site). Many of the choices are your personal preference, depending on what type of fabric, thread, etc. that you are using. Play around with different settings, fabrics, and threads to get a feel for what you like. The stitch length for basic construction is 2 1/2 to 3. Width depends on the weight of the fabric. Narrow for lightweight, medium for mediumweight, wide for heavyweight. The decorative settings are variable. Your manual should have a chart that will suggest settings for different types of fabrics and threads. Sorry I couldn't respond sooner. I have been away for almost the entire month of October. It has taken me a few days to catch up with everything. I plan to add more info to my website in December that will give more advice on these matters.

Question: serger vs sewing machine

I'm considering learning how to sew. I would like to know if sergers do everything that regular machines do or do you need to buy both?

Answer:

In answer to your question, the 2 machines compliment each other. I sew everything I can on my serger first, then use my sewing machine for the things my serger can't do like buttonholes, topstitching, and a few other things. The serger cuts away the seam allowance as it sews. The sewing machine doesn't. Sewing is a wonderful hobby. You may want to get a sewing machine first and learn the basics of sewing. Then add a serger to make the tasks faster and easier. I find that many new sewers learn the serger quite easily. They don't have to worry with ingrained sewing machine habits.

Question: what is a serger

I have a silly question but I am new to the world of sewing. What is a serger? What is the difference between a serger and a regular sewing machine and does a serger do the same things as a sewing machine except more?

Thank you for your time!

Answer:

A Serger uses anywhere from 2 to 5 threads at a time to sew. It makes the stitch found on the inside of ready to wear clothes where the thread wraps around the edges of the fabric. It also cuts away the excess seam allowance as it sews. A serger can be used for many aspects of sewing. I use it for decorative stitching that shows on the outside of clothing, as well. It does not replace a sewing machine, but is a great companion to one. Saves a lot of time.

Question: thread or fabric jam

What makes my thread bunch up under the foot when I start to serge? How do I remove the thread?

Answer:

Jamming occurs when thread builds up on the stitch finger and keeps the fabric from feeding through under the foot. This can happen when:

1) you try to serge without putting the presser foot down

2) using heavy decorative thread

3) serging a rolled edge

4) when using a short stitch length

5) the knife is up and fabric gets caught in the loopers

6) all of the above, or

7) who knows?

DON'T TRY TO SEW IT OUT! STOP SERGING! The thread will only keep building up on the stitch finger. Gently pull the chain to see if you can remove the jam. You may need to reduce all the tensions to zero so the thread will slip off the stitch finger. If you can't gently tug the thread off without force, then take a small pair of sharp pointed scissors and cut the threads loose. You may need to remove the foot to have better access to the stitch finger area. If the needles are caught in the fabric, loosen the needle screws, cut the thread and pull the needles out of the fabric by hand or with tweezers. Put in new needles when the jam is cleared.

This problem can often be avoided by clearing the stitch finger before you start to serge. Gently pull the chain of thread off the stitch finger when starting to serge until a few stitches have been taken into the fabric. The weight of the fabric will then push the thread through on its own.

Jamming can also occur when serging with the blade disengaged. If the fabric goes too far over the edge of the plate, it will get tangled up with the loopers. Always be careful to guide the fabric exactly along the edge of the throat plate when the blade is disengaged. Use a blind-hem foot to guide the fabric and you won't feel like you need to move the blade from cutting position while serging. Be sure to check your manual for the correct needle position to use with the blind-hem foot. Many sergers have blind-hem feet that will only let you use the right needle position, which gives you a much narrower stitch width. Some brands have guides that screw into the front of the serger that will keep the fabric from being cut.